Hull GP Eugene Stryjakiewicz suspended for six months for dishonesty and serious misconduct

A Hull GP was banned from working as a GP for six months today after serious misconduct and dishonesty, the Hull Daily Mail reports.

Dr Eugene Stryjakiewicz booked false appointments for patients seven times between January 4, 2012, and May 23, 2012. He also admitted asking for painkillers and antibiotics for a patient without a prescription from a Hull pharmacy on April 16, 2014, while he was suspended.

Dr Stryjakiewicz acted dishonestly when he went to Boots in Hessle for a prescription of antibiotics for a patient on August 12, 2014, without telling the pharmacist he had been suspended from the medical register.

The GP, one of three partners at Newington Health Centre and Calvert Medical Centre looking after 8,000 patients in west Hull, also acted dishonestly by claiming he couldn't fax over the prescription for the medication because the surgery's fax machine was broken.

Welsh group of pharmacies claims industry needs to better support the NHS

A Welsh group of pharmacies claim that the industry can support the NHS in Wales far more than currently is after a report from the Local Government Association (LGA) stated that the reduction in NHS funding in England will require local outlets to adapt their business model, Wales Online reports.

Dr Mo Nazemi, managing director of Evans Pharmacy, said: “We agree with the LGA’s claims regarding what is happening in England and the need to diversify. Whilst it is not clear if those changes will affect us here in Wales, we have been working on diversifying our offering for the past couple of years.”

Pharmacies in England may be forced to drastically alter the way they serve the public or run the risk of facing closure due to a proposed £170m reduction in NHS funding.

The proposals from the Department of Health’s consultation comprise plans to use clinical pharmacists in primary care settings such as GP practices; thus reducing funding to community pharmacies and placing their role within the health system at jeopardy.

Yoga could help asthma sufferers, research finds

Practising yoga could help asthma suffers breathe more easily, The Independent reports.

The Cochrane Review – an international healthcare non-profit organisation – suggests yoga can improve the quality of life for people who suffer with asthma.

The review, published on Tuesday in the Cochrane Library, used randomised trials, which found evidence yoga can improve the quality of life and symptoms of sufferers to some extent.

It says yoga, as a holistic therapy, has the potential to relieve both the physical and psychological suffering and could reduce the medication a person takes to cope with asthma.

Hospitals admit 300,000 obese women in one year

Hospital admissions for obesity have increased tenfold in the past decade and are at record level, The Times reports.

Three quarters of patients are women. In 2014-15 there were 440,288 admissions to hospital in which obesity was the main or secondary factor.

This is the highest figure on record and more than ten times higher than in 2004-05, when 40,741 were recorded.

Health campaigners warn that obesity will “break the NHS” unless the government takes decisive action to tackle unhealthy habits.

Nearly 60% of Scottish GPs plan to leave or cut their hours

Doctors’ leaders in Scotland have called for urgent action after a survey found nearly 60% of Scottish GPs plan to leave or cut their hours, with many citing underfunding and overwork, The Guardian reports.

Opposition parties said the survey for the Royal College of GPs (RCGP) raised challenging questions for Nicola Sturgeon, the Scottish National party leader, after real-terms cuts in health spending by her government.

The RCGP survey, released as Scotland’s parties entered the final week of campaigning in the Holyrood elections, found that 26% planned to leave general practice in the next five years.

Another third of the 150 doctors surveyed by ComRes planned to cut their hours. Only 37% planned to continue as GPs and work the same hours, it found.

Health professionals call for NHS Wales 'vision'

None of the main political parties in Wales are offering a long term vision for the NHS, according to professional bodies representing frontline staff, the BBC reports.

Hospital doctors, surgeons, GPs and nurses told BBC Wales they are also concerned about a lack of detail in party manifestos.

All contained useful ideas among pledges but there was need to tackle ever increasing demands, they said.

Meanwhile, an open letter to parties calls for waiting times to be tackled.